


Reunion

by spac3dcadet



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Post Season 4, i haven't watched the finale so i apologize if it makes zero sense, i saw posts and got inspired, not sure if i'll continue with this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-11-07 00:16:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11047305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spac3dcadet/pseuds/spac3dcadet
Summary: Bellamy and the gang are taken captive by the prison transport.  They're brought back to earth once the captain deems it survivable again.Clarke rushes to the ship to see her friends.  She soon realizes that she must fight for them.





	1. Chapter 1

Bellamy’s hands were shaking as the ship landed safely on the ground - no one flew around, no one died this time.  He looked to Raven, fear gleaming in his eyes.  Her eyes met his, giving him a look that seemed to say _we’ll figure it out_.  He nodded his head subtly.

 

The chains rattled as he shifted in his seat.  His hands were bound from one wall to the other, exactly the way Bellamy had bound Lincoln all those years ago.

 

What goes around comes around.

 

“We’ve landed,” the captain said over the speaker.  The belt that had strapped him to the seat loosened before falling off, and Bellamy stood as the seat went under the floor.

 

He looked to the others.  Echo, Emori, Murphy, Monty, and Harper were all staring at the door, waiting for it to open.  Bellamy wondered how he’d let them get to this place.  He wondered what he could’ve done differently.  They all looked so pale, so worn from the year they’d been on this ship.  His chest tightened.  He clenched his teeth and swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

 

“Well, _Sky People_ ,” the captain said mockingly over the speaker.  “Are you ready to see if this earth is once again habitable?”

 

There was a hissing noise as airlocks were put into place.  If it wasn’t habitable, Bellamy and his people would die from radiation and the prisoner transport would stay in the safety of their ship.  If it was habitable, they’d be in for a rude awakening.

 

Bellamy wasn’t sure if there were any survivors.  His thoughts drifted to Clarke.  He’d thought of her everyday since they’d left her - it’d been 2,199 days.  A wave of grief washed over him.  He wished he’d stayed and been there for her.  He shouldn’t have left her alone.  He felt that familiar pinch in his eye, and he blinked away the tears before they could fall.

 

Slowly, the door began to open.  Bellamy gripped the chains, fear rushing through him.  He looked to the others one last time as blinding sunlight crept into the room.  His heart ached.  He didn’t want to see what the world looked like without Clarke.

 

The others’ faces changed from fear to awe.  For the first time in a year, they all looked . . . _happy_.  Bellamy looked to the door, and his eyes widened.

 

It was almost the same as the day they’d landed the first time.

 

Everything was so _green_ .  After seeing red fire engulf the entire world, Bellamy couldn’t believe there was this much green left.  The air that greeted them was fresh, crisp.  He could hear the sounds of leaves rustling in the trees.  The others let out little noises of excitement and happiness.  Bellamy looked at his friends.  None of them had been sure that they’d see earth like this again.

 

“We’re home,” Raven murmured, meeting his eyes.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Clarke drove as fast as the terrain would let her toward the ship.  Her heart was pounding, and she was sure it’d pound right out of her chest.  She was shaking, her excitement almost uncontrollable.  _They're here.  She would see them again._

 

“I’ve never seen you so excited before,” Madi commented.

 

Clarke laughed.  “They’re here.  They made it.”  A single tear escaped.

 

Clarke stopped the rover just inside the tree line.  She ordered Madi to stay while she assessed what was going on.  She had to make sure everything was safe, though she didn’t want to think about what could be wrong.

 

Clarke crouched down near a tree and studied the ship.  The door was open, though she couldn’t see inside.  She looked around to see if anyone had walked out, but she didn’t hear nor see anyone.  Clarked turned her attention back to the ship and waited for signs of life.

 

Finally, she heard someone walking on metal.  Her heart skipped a beat as she saw an orange hazmat suit.

 

And sunk when she saw a bald head.

 

The man was holding a gun unlike any she’d seen before.  He had markings on his face and arms similar to those that the grounders have, but she knew he wasn’t from the ground.  A few more appeared, each one in similar orange suits.  More and more piled out, including children, who let out sounds of excitement and joy.  The scene reminded Clarke of when the 100 had come down, and Clarke felt the hole that was in her chest.  She knew she was missing someone - a lot of someones.

 

Clarke wiped her hands on her pants as she looked from person to person, searching for one - any - familiar face.  She readied herself to run back to the rover and get Madi as far from these people as possible.

 

Then she saw them.

 

People being dragged off, chained together in a line.  They were wearing all black.  She recognized Murphy first, then Emori, Monty, Harper, Echo, _Raven_ , and -

 

Her heart stopped, breath caught.  Her hands grew clammy.  Tears filled her eyes.  He.  Was.  Alive.

 

_Bellamy_.

 

Clarke jumped up from her crouching position, ready to run to him.  She stopped herself as she assessed the situation they were in.  Something was horribly wrong.  Why were they chained together?

 

Her heart sank.  They were captives.

 

The 100 hadn't been criminals, not really.  They had been young kids who hadn’t know any better and had enjoyed acting up for the hell of it.  These people, the ones who had taken hers, they were real criminals.  They were the psychopaths, sociopaths.

 

Clarke felt all the blood drain from her face.  They were not safe.

 

She walked back to the rover, keeping her eyes on her people, not wanting to be separated from them again but knowing she couldn't very well march out there and risk all their lives.  Madi's life.  She slowly opened the door and closed it carefully.

 

“What’s wrong?” Madi asked.

 

Clarke looked to her.  “Madi,” she said softly,  “my friends are in trouble.  And we need to help them.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Madi come up with a plan; so do Bellamy and the others.

Clarke knew she had to work fast.  She didn’t know anything about the situation they were in, but they needed help.  And that was all that mattered.

 

She drove a few kilometers away from where the ship had landed.  It pained her to even move a few meters away from them - to know they were alive, that she could be with them again, excited her.  She didn’t want to go longer than she had to before she could see them again.

“We could bargain with them,” Madi suggested.  She and Clarke were sitting in the rover, trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do.

 

“What would we bargain?” Clarke asked.  It was half a test, and half her needing ideas.

 

“They don’t know how to survive down here,” Madi pointed out.  “We could tell them that we’ll help them - as long as they give us the people.”

 

Clarke almost laughed.  There was no way it could be that easy.  These were criminals - or at the very least, the descendants of criminals.  She didn’t know what they knew or didn’t know.  She had to be careful.

 

Clarke looked at Madi, her innocent little nightblood.  Yes, she had to be very careful.

 

“We have to make it seem like they need our help, even if they don’t,” Clarke began.  Wheels started turning in her mind; she hadn’t created a plan to save her friends in a very long time.  Not a real plan.  “We need to manipulate them.”

 

“This is planet is full of radiation,” Madi added.  “We can’t let them risk drinking contaminated water, or eating contaminated food.”

 

Clarke smiled.  “Madi, you’re a genius.”

 

They hopped out of the rover and walked in the direction the ship had landed.  Clarke listened sharply for sounds out of the ordinary - sounds that meant others were nearby.  She wasn’t sure what they’d be doing now; if they were smart, they would’ve found a water source.  She figured they hadn’t had much earth training, so they probably lacked that common sense.

 

As sounds of talk and laughter became louder, Clarke and Madi walked slower, creeping in the cover of the trees.  Madi crouched low to the ground, and Clarke stood over her.  They watched as people moved, trying to create some sort of fencing around their camp.  There was a pang in Clarke’s chest as she thought of her mother, and Kane, and all those other people that had made Arkadia.  She wondered if this was what it had been like.

 

“Come on, that’s not how you do it!” one of the prisoners yelled.  “Stop being an idiot!”

 

Clarke rolled her eyes.  Madi snorted.  They watched as a group tried tying ropes together, but none of their knots held.  It was pathetic, and Clarke almost felt sorry for them.  Almost.

 

Suddenly, there were shouts from the inside of the ship.  Clarke couldn’t understand what was being said, but it sounded something like an argument.  Then, two people walked out of the ship: a man and a woman with short, cropped hair.   The man looked furious; the woman looked annoyed.

 

“They’ve been here before, Captain,” the woman said.  “They probably know how to find food and water.  They can help make shelters.”

 

“If we give them even a little bit of freedom, they’ll try to steal a lot of it,” he snapped at her.  “I can’t risk that.”

 

The man and woman walked closer to where Clarke and Madi were, and Clarke grabbed Madi and moved so they were completely hidden behind the tree.  She listened closely as they continued to bicker.

 

“Your people are hungry,” the woman pleaded.  “They’re thirsty.  And if you don’t provide, or give them a way to provide for themselves, they will turn on you.  We have to do something.  We need to at least try to find water.”

 

“We can’t leave this area,” the captain said.  “We don’t know this place.  People could easily get lost.”

 

“Then send me,” the woman said.  “I’ll find something.  You know I can do it.”

 

“I can’t,” the captain snarled.  “No one leaves this camp.  We still have some rations on the ship.  Until I give the order, no one is leaving this camp.”

 

Clarke heard their footsteps walk away, and she looked at Madi.  “I have an idea.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

None of these people knew how earth worked.  They didn’t know how to hunt, or see the signs of water nearby.  They wouldn’t be able to track - hell, they’d probably get lost out there if they even went a few meters.  He’d heard the captain and his second arguing for several minutes about whether or not Bellamy and the others should be freed.  Bellamy had tried reasoning with the captain, but he wouldn’t listen.  When they finally stormed out of the ship, Bellamy gave up.

 

“We shouldn’t help them,” Echo said through gritted teeth.  Over these six years, her attitude had not changed even a little bit.

 

The captain had locked them back up, but had allowed them to sit in chairs.  Bellamy leaned back and thought about what could be done.

 

“We have to try to convince them to let us go,” Bellamy said.  “We have to earn their trust.  Once we do that, we’ll be able to get away.”

 

“They deserve to be punished for capturing us,” Echo hissed.

 

“They’ll get their punishment by killing themselves,” Monty said.  He looked at Bellamy.  “You’re right.  But how do we gain their trust?  After all this time, they still don’t trust us.”

 

“He trusts me,” Raven said, referring to the captain.  “He let me help them get their ship ready for landing.  If I can -”

 

“No,” Bellamy said.  “It’s too dangerous.  We can’t risk any of us.”

 

“He won’t hurt me,” Raven argued.  “I know I can get him to trust you guys.”

 

Bellamy stared at her with a look of concern.  Raven was right, though.  The captain trusted her the most out of all of them, though it didn’t surprise Bellamy.  She was one of the strongest people he knew, the only other one being Clarke.

 

He shifted in his seat as his thoughts drifted to her.  2,200 days had passed since he’d seen her.  He had no idea if she was alive, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.  If she was alive, she would have been alone for over 2,000 days.  If she wasn’t, she would have died alone.  He wasn’t sure which was worse.

 

“Be careful, Raven,” Bellamy said to her, trying to sound firm.  His face revealed his fear.  “If he tries anything -”

 

“I can take care of myself,” Raven said to him.  Bellamy met her eyes and nodded once.  He knew she could - Raven could handle anything that was thrown at her.  That didn’t make him worry any less.  


 

They all waited for the captain to return.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven convinces the captain to give them some freedom; Clarke and Madi continue planning for their friends' rescue.

The captain allowed the seven of them outside for the first time in the few days since they’d landed on earth.  Bellamy had missed earth more than he’d realized.  Nothing compared to the fresh air, the green grass, or the blue skies.  However, he was missing someone that should’ve been with him.

 

He didn’t dare let himself think about it for too long.

 

“How long do you think Raven will take?” Monty whispered.  Raven was currently attempting to reason with the captain, trying to get their freedom, telling him that they knew how to survive and they could help his people.  It didn’t look like it was going so well.

 

“She’ll get it done,” Bellamy said quietly, voice stern.  He had faith in her.

 

“We don’t have much time,” Echo argued.

 

“We have all the time in the world right now,” Bellamy told her.  “To do this right, we have to do it slowly.”

 

The rest of them didn’t argue.

 

Bellamy turned his attention to the trees that surrounded their little clearing.  His thoughts drifted to another life, another world, where everything seemed simple, easier.  He wondered if and when their lives would go back to normal. 

 

As normal as theirs could be, anyway. 

 

There was a movement within the trees, which Bellamy barely caught.  He squinted, staring harder into the shadows.  Could there be an animal?  Were there any survivors?  He tried not to hope as he scanned the area, looking for something blonde.

 

“The trees aren’t going anywhere,” Raven said as she took a seat in the grass next to him.  She was smiling, which meant it had worked. 

 

“What’d he say?” Bellamy asked, his voice rough.

 

“I told him that as long as rations continued to go down, his people would get antsy.  They’d start doubting him,” she began.

 

“And that worked?” Murphy asked.

 

“Hell no,” Raven said with a laugh.  “Apparently he already got that lecture from his second.  But I told him his people wouldn’t like it if they kept wasting food on us.”

 

“Good job Raven,” Murphy said, rolling his eyes.  “Now we can starve to death.”

 

Raven glared at him as she continued.  “Anyway, he seemed to agree with me on that one, so I told him that since we know where the good food and water are, he agreed to let us hunt.”

 

“Just like that?” Emori asked.

 

“With conditions,” Raven admitted.  “We can only go in pairs, and there has to be at least four guards with us.”  When Murphy and Echo started to protest, Raven snapped, “Hey, this is about earning their trust.  Once we show them we’re not messing around, they’ll give us some slack.”

 

“No, she’s right,” Bellamy said when Echo opened her mouth to speak again.  “We have to make sure we don’t show them everything we know, like how to track.  Convince him that it’s not worth risking the guards’ lives hunting when we can do it.”

 

The others considered this.  Bellamy met Raven’s eyes, and a smile tugged at his lips.  He was proud of her, and he didn’t hide it.  Raven nodded and smiled back.

 

“So, who goes first?” Murphy asked.

 

“Bellamy and I,” Raven said.  “We leave at noon.”

 

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Clarke hurried as quickly and quietly as she could back to the rover.  She’d stopped by to see if they were actually there, to make sure it wasn’t just a figment of her imagination.  She’d nearly wept when she saw them again.  Guards still stood near them, but there were fewer, and it seemed her friends were given a little bit more freedom than before.  She wondered what their plans were. 

 

Madi was sitting on the hood of the rover when Clarke returned, sewing together clothes.  They’d wanted to make Clarke look official, like she owned these woods.  They wanted her to look like a queen. 

 

“Oh, good, you’re back,” Madi said without looking up, face emotionless. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Clarke breathed.  “I just needed -”

 

“It’s okay,” Madi said, looking up.  “I’d do the same.”

 

Unspoken words of understanding, sympathy, and sorrow flowed between them.  Clarke gave her a small smile and nodded.  Madi was the strongest, wisest girl Clarke had ever met - and she was barely twelve.  Madi smiled sadly and looked back to her masterpiece. 

 

“I think this is perfect,” she said, holding it up. 

 

Clarke inspected it, putting her fingers on her chin mockingly.  “Hmm,” she murmured.  “I’m not sure yet.  I think it’s missing something.”  She raised an eyebrow and looked at her little companion. 

 

“Oh, I know!” Madi exclaimed.  She jumped off the rover and ran to the passenger’s side.  She rummaged through the back and pulled out a piece of jewelry.  She ran back to Clarke and held it up for her. 

 

“Where did you get that?” Clarke asked. 

 

“My mom,” Madi said with a smile.  “Before the fires, she told me she wanted me to have something to remember her by.  It’s been in the family since the beginning.”

 

The necklace that Madi held was made of iron.  There was a small red stone in the middle, woven into the necklace by intricate, layered designs.  It reminded Clarke of a crown. 

 

“This is beautiful,” Clarke told her.  “And it’s perfect.  But I can’t take it.”

 

“Please,” Madi insisted.  “If anyone is going to wear it, I want it to be you.”

 

Clarke pulled Madi into a hug.  They held each other tightly.  Clarke was forever grateful that Madi had stumbled into her life - or maybe Clarke had stumbled into  _ her _ life.  Regardless, Madi was exactly what Clarke had needed.

 

“What’s the plan?” Madi asked, stepping away.

 

“We’re going in at night,” Clarke began.  She ran down the full plans, including the rover, where Madi would be in case it went south, and how they’d get her friends out no matter what.  Clarke wanted to make sure they couldn’t see Madi - she’d considered many times the possibility of them asking for her in exchange, and she wouldn’t let that happen.

 

“When are we doing this?” Madi asked.

 

Clarke considered this for a second.  She’d get them right now if she could.  However, they still had props to set up, plans to perfect.  “Tomorrow night,” she said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy and Raven hunt for food; Clarke and Madi stargaze.

Bellamy wasn’t surprised that the captain had decided he needed to join them.  The captain had unsurprisingly taken a liking to Raven, and he did a poor job at hiding it.  Bellamy had said as much to Raven just before they’d left, and she’d scoffed.  This also didn’t surprise Bellamy - Raven had always refused to notice when someone had feelings for her.

 

Bellamy and Raven led the other four as they walked through the woods.  As far as they could tell, there were no signs of animals or life.  There were no signs of water.  They were giving up hope as they stepped further through the trees -

 

\- and stopped cold.  They’d reached the end of the woods and made it to the end of the green lands.  What was before them was death.  Dead trees, dead grass.  Wind blew the dirt, which looked like it hadn’t seen water in months.  Years.  The land was barren.

 

“Keep moving,” one of the guards hissed behind them.

 

But Bellamy was frozen.  If this was what Praimfaya had done to the land…

 

“Bellamy, we have to go,” Raven murmured.  She set a hand on his arm.  He shook his head as he tried to gather himself.  He looked down at Raven.

 

“We’ve got each other,” he whispered.

 

“Always,” she agreed.  She squeezed his arm before turning away.  Bellamy looked back to the barren land once more before following them back into the trees.

 

“We’ll figure this out,” Raven mumbled to Bellamy as they walked ahead of the group, keeping their eyes on the ground.  

 

“I know,” Bellamy said.  “It’s just hard.”  The earth was lonely now.  He didn’t know the fate of Octavia, or the others who’d been in the bunker.  He sure as hell didn’t know if Clarke was still alive.  He had the six, and their freedom was to be determined.  He hoped once they got away from their captors, it’d feel more like home once again. 

 

“No talking,” one of the guards snapped.

 

“Are you sure you guys know what you’re doing?” another demanded.  “We’ve been walking for hours.”

 

Bellamy had about had it with these guys.  He turned his head to look over his shoulder.  “Hunting takes time and concentration.  Maybe next time you could stay at the camp.”

 

The guards started snarling, and the captain held up a hand to quiet them.  “I’m sure you understand why we can’t do that, Mr. Blake.”  He smiled strangely, putting his hand down.  “We’ll behave from now on.”

 

Bellamy stared at the captain before facing ahead.  Suddenly, Raven caught his arm to stop him.  She leaned down and picked at a bush.  She held her hand out for him to see what she’d found - jobi nuts.

 

It took all of Bellamy’s willpower to stay stone-faced.  “You found nuts,” he said approvingly.  He turned to the others.  “Raven found something.”

 

The captain walked up to them, eyeing the jobi nuts carefully.  “What are they?” he demanded.

 

“These are jobi nuts,” Raven said, glancing at Bellamy for affirmation.  He nodded once.  “They’re edible, and one of the ways the 100 survived when they first arrived on the ground.”

 

The captain eyed it again.  He looked at Bellamy.  “Eat it.”

 

Keeping his face neutral, Bellamy took the nut and pretended to swallow it - he slid it into his shirt sleeve.  Raising his eyebrows, he said, “See?  They’re safe.”

 

He stared at Bellamy for a few moments, studying his face.  Seemingly convinced, the captain grunted.  “Let’s put these in the bags.  We’ll take them back to the camp.”  The guards kneeled down and picked the nuts until there were none left.  When no one was looking, Bellamy and Raven smiled at each other.

 

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Clarke and Madi spent their energy on preparing their rescue.  There wasn’t much time for them to get everything ready.  They had to put together props and disguises for illusions.   They had to make sure everything on the rover was working.  Clarke went over the plans with Madi as many times as she could.  If anything happened to her, Clarke would never forgive herself.

 

“Tell me about your friends,” Madi murmured.  The day had come to an end, and Clarke and Madi could no longer work on their props.  They’d decided to lay on the hood of the rover and look at the stars.  This was the first time in a long time that Clarke wasn’t looking for the ark.

 

Clarke thought of the people that had left long ago.  It had felt like another lifetime - had it really only been six years since she’d seen them?  It’d felt like a hundred.

 

“They’re strong,” she began.  “They’re loyal.  They’re stubborn as hell,” she added with a laugh.  “No matter what we went through, they always fought their hardest.  We all looked out for each other.  We’re more than friends.  We’re family.”  The truth of the words were a weight on Clarke.  She missed them more than she had allowed herself to feel.  She couldn’t wait for them to come home.  


 

“Who’s Bellamy?” Madi asked.

 

Clarke’s heart sunk, and her face grew warm.  So she  _ had _ heard her.  “He’s a . . . friend.  Bellamy helped me with the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.  We made them together.  He taught me what true--”  She hesitated.  “He taught me truth.  He kept me strong when it was too easy to be weak.  He means the world to me.”  Her voice had dropped to a whisper as her mind whirled.   _ He’s alive.  He’s almost here _ .

 

Clarke wiped at a tear that had escaped and looked at Madi.  She gave her a smile.  “I can’t wait for you to meet them.”

 

Madi studied her a moment before saying, “I can’t wait to meet them, either.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy and the gang upgrade their living space.

Silently, Clarke crept out of the rover early the next morning.  After she shut the door, she made sure Madi hadn’t awoken before heading back to the camp.  She had to see them again.

 

Clarke had dreamt of the moment when she and her friends would finally be reunited.  There were so many things they’d have to catch up on.  2203 days were  _ a lot _ .  Too many.  She couldn’t wait to hear about what happened while they were in space, and she couldn’t wait to tell them about Praimfaya and Madi.

 

She ducked low as she approached the camp.  There were a few guards milling around, pretending to be doing something.  They’d finally tied ropes around the perimeter of their camp - weak, but it was better than nothing.

 

The leader of the group walked out of the ship with a woman, the same people Clarke had seen a few days ago.  Following them were - 

 

_ Bellamy _ .

 

Clarke’s heart fluttered when she saw him, and tears pinched her eyes when she saw the others.  They were being led to the same spot in which they’d sat the day before.  Clarke wanted to call out to them, to tell them she was here, she was coming for them.  Her muscles ached; she wanted to run to them.

 

_ Tonight _ , she reminded herself.  She’d get them tonight.

 

Clarke looked back to the man and woman, glaring.  They were the only ones standing in between her and her friends.  Whatever had been done to them, she’d make sure was returned sevenfold.

 

She couldn’t wait to make them pay for what they’d done.

 

 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“I won’t show them anything,” Murphy insisted, rolling his eyes.  “They’re all idiots anyway.”

 

Murphy and Monty were going on the hunting trip today - hopefully they’d have a little more luck than Bellamy and Raven.  After the jobi nuts, there was nothing else.  Bellamy couldn’t believe how barren this earth had become; though he wasn’t all that surprised, either.  He just hoped they’d find  _ something _ , especially something edible.  He’d never let his friends eat those damned jobi nuts again.

 

“Get rid of that attitude while you’re at it,” Raven snapped.  “They won’t let you go again if you keep it up.”

 

Murphy huffed but didn’t say anything else.

 

“Anyone else think it’s ironic that the two best hunters haven’t been able to go yet?” Emori asked, a sarcastic smile on her face.

 

“Probably because they know we’d kill them,” Echo said matter-of-factly without looking at the others.  She took a bite of the bread that had been given to them.

 

The seven of them had nearly been starved during the time they’d been captured, but now that they were on earth, and because they suddenly had value, they were fed bread at meals.  Though it was something small, it meant that they were a step closer to where they wanted to be - free.

 

“You’ve been out of practice for how long?” Monty asked.  “I don’t think they’re too worried.”

 

“And how many real fights have they been in?” Echo shot back.  “They should be terrified.”

 

“If we haven’t done anything by now, they probably know we’re not going to fight them,” Monty pointed out.

 

“All we need is one opening,” Echo grumbled.

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Bellamy snapped.  “No one is getting killed, and we’re sure as hell not starting any fights.  At least, not while we’re their prisoners.”

 

“Once we’re free, they’re fair game,” Echo said.

 

Bellamy glanced at the guards that were several feet away, keeping an eye on the captives, but giving them space.  “Once we’re free, we’re leaving them alone.”

 

After they’d finished eating, the group was escorted back into the ship - except for Monty and Murphy.  Bellamy hoped to God - or anyone that was listening - that Murphy would behave himself while they were out there.

 

The captain’s second escorted the group into a closed off section of eight cells.  There were beds and toilets in all of them except for the first one.  There, a desk and random chairs had been placed.

 

“The captain decided you guys need your own space,” she told them.  “He feels that since you’re offering your help, you deserved it.”

 

“Thank you,” Bellamy said, and meant it.  The woman glared at him before turning to leave.  She locked the gate.  This might not have been freedom, but it was getting closer and closer everyday.

 

Everyone went to pick which cell would be theirs and mumbled thank yous to the woman.  Bellamy chose the second cell, Raven the third, followed by Echo, Emori, and Harper.  This was the first time they’d been offered a bed.  Bellamy told the others to rest.  They deserved it.

 

~~~~~~~

 

“You’re doing that thing again,” Raven noted quietly as she stepped into the cell.  Bellamy was sitting at the desk.  He’d tried to relax, but his mind was racing.  Something felt off, though he wasn’t quite sure what it was.

 

Raven and Bellamy had spent enough time together that when something was bothering him, she knew right away.  He had a ‘tell’, so she said.  His eyebrows would furrow, and his face had a far off look.  Bellamy knew that must be what she was seeing now, and he tried to change his features to be neutral.

 

“Something feels off,” he told her.  He stood up and leaned against the desk.  “There’s something wrong.”

 

“There are a lot of things wrong,” Raven said quietly.  She rested a hand on his shoulder.  “We’ll be okay, Bellamy.  We’re figuring it out.  Soon, we’ll be able to escape.  We just need a little more time.”

 

Bellamy looked at her.  Raven rarely showed her soft side, but when she did, it was always at the right time.  She always said what he needed to hear.  Bellamy nodded before standing straight.

 

“I don’t trust the captain,” Bellamy told her.  “I think you should be careful around him.”

 

Raven blinked in surprise.  “What?” she asked.  “Bellamy, I can handle myself.  You know that.  I’m not afraid of him.”

 

“Just . . .”  Bellamy hesitated, unsure of how to say what he wanted to without sounding protective, controlling.  Raven was free to do whatever she wanted, and Bellamy knew that she’d do whatever was right.  He had no doubt in her.  

 

Finally, he said, “You’re right.  That doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry.”  He couldn’t help himself; he worried about all of his friends.

 

Raven rolled her eyes, amused.

 

Before she could say anything, there were loud voices coming from the hallway.  Then the gate was shaking as someone attempted to open it.  Bellamy and Raven ran out of the cell to see what the hell was going on.

 

Monty was standing on the other side of the gate, yelling for Bellamy.

 

Bellamy held up a hand to quiet him.  “Monty, what’s going on?”

 

A guard came up behind him and opened the gate.  “Someone is here to see you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion.

Bellamy, Raven, and Monty followed the guard down the long hallway.  They were silent as they walked.  Bellamy had looked at Monty to see if he could read it and figure out what he’d seen.  Monty’s face shone with a mix of excitement and terror.

 

The guard stopped just before going outside and turned to look at them.  “Stay.  I’ll be right back.”  He hurried out of the main door.

 

Bellamy looked at Monty.  “What the hell is going on?  Where’s Murphy?”

 

“He’s okay,” Monty said breathlessly.  “Just wait.”

 

“Monty, tell us what’s happening,” Raven snapped.

 

Bellamy tried to hear what was going on outside.  He heard voices, but he couldn’t make out what anyone was saying.

 

The captain came inside, an amused look on his face.  He eyed Bellamy in a way that made him shift uncomfortably.

 

“Your people seem to look to you as a leader,” the captain commented.  “We have found land dwellers.  The one you call Murphy won’t let us deal with them.”

 

Bellamy stared at the captain, frozen in place.   _ Them? _  Who was out there?  Octavia, Kane, Abby, the others?  How many were there?  Suddenly, his body kicked into motion.  He hurried passed the captain, ignoring orders to stop.   _ Who was out there? _

 

When he stepped outside, Bellamy stopped just outside the entrance.  In the grass before him, seven or eight guards were standing around Murphy, who stood in front of two people.  Bellamy noticed the young girl of about twelve first, whom he immediately recognized as a grounder.  Next to her stood a woman with short blonde hair, a red streak -

 

Bellamy felt as though he’d been kicked in the chest.  He couldn’t believe who was standing there in their camp.  She wasn’t looking at him - her attention was on Murphy, who was yelling at some guard to back up.  She was trying to calm him down.  Before he could think about what he was doing, he ran as fast as he could to her.  When he reached her, he wrapped her in his arms, lifting slightly.

 

“Bellamy,” she gasped, tightening her arms around his neck.  It had been so long . . .

 

“I knew you could do it,” he whispered.  And he had always known, deep in his heart, that she was here and alive.  Clarke was tough as hell - she wouldn’t go down without her sayso.  

 

For a moment, it was just the two of them.  They were back in that forest where Clarke had saved his life and he’d nearly asked her to run away with him.  They were meeting again for the first time after Clarke escaped Mount Weather.  It was the feeling of seeing her again after she’d left him, Roan's captive.  They were on the beach, when Bellamy had decided to forgive her.  They were in the bunker, saying goodbye.  The two of them, together, as it was supposed to be.

 

There were so many things they wanted to say to one another, but instead, they stayed silent.  They held each other, breathing the other in.  Clarke smelled of the trees and dirt and sweat - she smelled like earth, like  _ home _ .  

 

“So you know each other,” the captain commented.  Bellamy and Clarke reluctantly backed away from each other and looked at the man.  He regarded the two of them with an odd look on his face.

 

“We lead our people together,” Clarke told him, her voice stronger than ever.  Bellamy couldn’t believe how much she’d grown in the six years they’d been apart.

 

_ Six years. _

 

The captain looked back and forth between them, his eyes glistening with amusement.  Bellamy hated the way the captain looked at Clarke.  He clenched his teeth to keep from snapping.

 

“Unfortunately, my dear, you were trespassing,” the captain finally said.  “As I’m sure your fellow leader can explain, we don’t take kindly to trespassers.”

 

“Technically, sir, I believe we’re the ones trespassing here,” Bellamy said coolly.

 

This made the captain laugh.  Instead of responding, he turned on his heel and nodded once.  Before anyone had time to react, the guards hit Murphy and the girl in the head with the back of their guns.  Clarke called out in anger and frustration before she and Bellamy were tasered.  Both of them doubled over before being hauled back into the ship, Murphy and the girl carried after them.

 

Monty and Raven were standing in the doorway, watching the scene unfold with horror.  Raven demanded to know where they were being taken, and followed them until the guards blocked her and shut a door in her face.  Bellamy didn’t have the energy to fight or look anywhere but at his and Clarke’s feet as they dragged on the metal floor.

 

Finally, they were thrown in their own cells.  It took a second for Bellamy to recognize these as the ones that he and the others had first been in when they were captured.  He turned his head and watched as the guards slammed his door shut.  Across from him, Clarke was already pulling herself up on the bars, demanding to see Madi - Bellamy assumed this was the young girl.

 

Clarke yelled until the guards slammed the door to the cellblock, and continued to yell until her voice grew hoarse.

 

Bellamy couldn’t help but feeling he had failed her once again.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Clarke stared at Bellamy as he sat with his heading hanging, a single light illuminating him.  He ran his hands through his hair, resting his elbows on his knees.

 

There were so many things Clarke wanted to say to him.  She wanted to ask him what happened, how long they’d been up there before they’d been taken, if he’d thought of her like she’d thought of him, had he missed her?  No question seemed appropriate - instead, she just took in the sight of him.

 

He hadn’t changed much in the years he’d been gone.  He looked more like a man, though he’d already been a man six years ago.  His hair wasn’t nearly as long as she’d thought it’d be - they must have been groomed.  He was still wearing the black suit that Clarke guessed was an inmate uniform.  Bellamy had the top part unbuttoned, showing off a white T-shirt underneath.

 

“I missed you,” Clarke said quietly.

 

Bellamy lifted his head, his face slowly lighting up.

 

Before he could say anything, Clarke went on, “I thought of you everyday.  I thought of everyone.”  She didn’t tell him she’d talked to him through the radio, hoping he’d one day respond.  “I was so worried -”

 

“I worried, too,” Bellamy said.  A feeling only he seemed capable of causing flared up in her chest.  “I missed you.  There were so many times I wished I could talk to you.  As bad as this sounds, I’m glad you’re here.”

 

Clarke smiled softly.  For what it was worth, she was glad they were here together, finally.  She was about to say as much when a guard opened the door to the cellblock.  Following her was the captain.

 

“I thought most prisoners knew the rules,” he said as he stepped into the single light between Bellamy and Clarke.  “No talking.”

 

A guard walked up behind him and set down a chair.

 

“Now, this can go one of two ways,” the captain began.  “Either you two can cooperate and listen to everything I say, or you two can play by your own rules and watch as your people die.”  Clarke and Bellamy were silent.  The captain continued.  “I really don’t want to be the bad guy here.  But when someone breaks the rules, they have to be punished.  That’s how it goes.”

 

“We’ll listen,” Clarke said, “as long as you let us see our friends.”

 

“This isn’t a negotiation,” the captain said.  He stood and grabbed the back of the chair.  “I’ll be back tomorrow.  Enjoy your quiet evening.”  With that, he left.

 

Clarke and Bellamy exchanged a look.  One of the guards stayed behind to make sure they didn’t speak.  There was nothing more dangerous than two leaders left alone in the enemy’s cell.

 

Thankfully, the two of them knew how to speak without words.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy are punished.

If Bellamy had had it his way, he would’ve spent all night and day with Clarke.  Even though they couldn’t talk to each other, the looks they shared said enough.

 

Clarke had scooted away from the door so the guard couldn’t see her.  Bellamy had followed suit, and they communicated by mouthing plans and nodding toward different things.  Bellamy knew the plan would be in motion as soon as she stood.  Until then, he waited silently, patiently.

 

Throughout the night, Bellamy had heard Raven and the others demanding to see them.  Bellamy wished they’d trust him and Clarke.  They’d been in worse situations - they knew how to escape.

 

He watched Clarke now as she sat with a calmness he hadn’t seen before.  In fact, she almost looked content, relaxed.  He had to know what she did while she was on earth.  What had she experienced?

 

Clarke, who’d been scratching the dust on the concrete floor, looked up at him.  Bellamy knew he should look away.  But he couldn’t help himself.  He hadn’t seen her in a long time, and he would do everything he could to make sure that they’d be able to see each other everyday for the rest of their lives.

 

A long time ago, Bellamy had decided that Clarke was part of his family.  No matter what, Bellamy knew that he’d travel to the ends of the universe to be there for her.  And he knew in his soul that she’d do the same for him.  It was who they were.  There was a time when Bellamy had wondered if there was something there romantically.  He still wasn’t so sure, but he knew that none of that mattered.  They could’ve been friends, lovers, family.  He didn’t care how they defined their relationship.  The only thing that mattered was that they were  _ together _ .

 

“He’s coming,” the guard mumbled.  Bellamy looked away from Clarke and turned his attention on the guard, then the door.

 

“Stand up,” the guard snapped.  Bellamy and Clarke slowly rose to their feet.  They watched as the door opened, and the captain appeared, a large grin on his face.

 

“You’re both very respected,” he commented.  “Your people are very loyal to you.  That’s good.  They’re stubborn.”

 

“Let us see them,” Clarke said evenly.

 

Ignoring her, the captain turned to Bellamy and said, “See, if you would’ve just let me deal with her, you wouldn’t need to be punished.  But you stood up for a criminal.  Now you have to be punished, too.”

 

“What are you going to do?” Bellamy asked.

 

“I’ve been trying to decide that,” the captain said matter-of-factly.  “And I think there’s one thing that we can do.  See, when we were in the sky, we exiled people to space.  I think we should do the same to you two.”

 

“Let us see our people,” Clarke said with more urgency.  She saw where this was going.  Bellamy tried his hardest not to show emotions, but he knew they could see his fear.

 

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the captain said sadly.  His face was too bright for him to be genuine.  “If they know, I fear they’ll try to riot.  And I just don’t want to cause more casualties than needed.”

 

Bellamy and Clarke glanced at one another.  Clarke’s eyes shone with fear; her face was neutral.  Bellamy knew his face wasn’t neutral.  Once again, he felt that he’d let his people down.  He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again.

 

“We’ll do as you ask,” Bellamy said.

 

“You don’t have much of a choice,” the captain told him.  “We’ll come get you in a few hours.  Until then, enjoy the cells.”  He motioned for all the guards to leave, and Bellamy and Clarke were left alone.

 

~~~~~~~

 

The captain returned with five guards.  One of the guards carried two small packs.  Another had two syringes.  Anxiety flared through Clarke’s veins.  This was worse than she’d thought.

 

“Ready for your adventure?” the captain asked with a smug smile on his face.  Clarke vowed that when she returned, she’d kill him as slowly as possible.  She’d make sure he felt every break, every slice.

 

The two of them were silent as the guard handed each of them a pack, which they put on and strapped across their chest.  Then the guard with the syringe walked up.  Clarke looked at Bellamy as the needle went into her arm.

 

Immediately, she felt weaker.  She dropped to her knees, keeping Bellamy in her sight as her vision blurred and she dropped to the ground.  She looked at him until darkness completely covered her vision.

  
_________________________________________________________________________________

 

Clarke slowly opened her eyes.  There was still darkness around her, accompanied by pale blue-gray light.  Her arm was sore from the needle.  She was still groggy, and as she sat up, pain shot through her head.  She grunted as she focused and tried to push the pain away.

 

She took in her surroundings.  Her pack was still on her back, which she took off to look at the contents.  There were two bags of - jobi nuts?  She huffed in frustration.  There was a small canteen of water, which made her realize how thirsty she was.  Then she looked around.

 

She was in the barren lands.

 

Clarke shot up.   _ No _ .

 

She looked around for Bellamy.  She didn’t see him.  Trying not to panic, she looked for signs that he’d been there and had just woken up before her.  Surely he wasn’t far away.  Looking in the distance, she realized there was no way he’d just stepped away.

 

There wasn’t a plant in sight.  Just cracked dirt all around her.  The stars almost mocked her - there were so many clusters of them - and she was alone.

 

Completely alone.

 

She allowed herself to fret for only a second.  Then, she put her pack on and walked.  The only way to find him was to move.  She read the stars, the ones she’d memorized, and followed the constellations she recognized.

 

_ I will find you, Bellamy. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy leaves clues; Clarke goes on a search.

****Bellamy woke up with a massive headache.  He grunted as he sat up, putting his hand on his head.  The sun was just starting to rise in the east, so pale light covered the land.

 

It took him only a second to realize he was no longer in the forest, and he was alone.  He moved to his hands and knees, his aching head causing him to move slower.  In frustration, he punched the dirt.  Dammit, how had he let this happen?

 

He stood, ignoring the throb in his head, took off the pack.  He looked inside, sighing at the contents.  Jobi nuts and a canteen of water, as well as a rope and a light jacket.  What the hell would he do with this?

 

First of all, He had to find Clarke.  Once he did, they would be able to free the others.  He looked around, trying to figure out which way he should start walking.  He looked to the sky, considering where they’d landed, how they’d landed, and where the barren lands were in relation to that.  The only choice he had was to move.  He noticed that there seemed to be more green in front of him than behind him, so he decided to go in that direction.

 

He hoped Clarke would know where to go, too.

 

Bellamy tried to stay optimistic as he walked toward the unknown.  He knew that he’d find them eventually - they’d survived worse than this.  If he’d learned anything from the books he’d read, it was that the universe always worked in the favor of the people.  As long as he stayed hopeful, he would find her.

 

He had been careful before not to let his thoughts wander to Clarke too often while they were in space until more recently.  When they went up that day, he had left his heart on earth.  What was left was an empty hole in his chest, and he ached.  Every night before they’d been captured, Bellamy would stand before the window that looked to the earth.  That had been the only time he’d let himself feel the emptiness.

 

However, now he let himself think about her.  He let his mind wander.  He would not rest again until they were side by side.  They couldn’t be apart for long.  They’d always been destined to be in one another’s life.  He known this since they’d landed.

 

~~~~~~~  


The day was growing warmer and warmer.  The barren land seemed to stretch for miles.  Bellamy was still wearing the prisoner uniform, and he unbuttoned the top down to his waist and tied the arms around him.  He was thankful for the white and worn T-shirt he wore - it was thinning enough that it offered somewhat of a breeze.  He took a sip of his water.  He wanted to be careful not to drink too much - he didn’t know where the water source was here.

 

Then he noticed something in the distance - _trees_.

Somehow, he’d found the forest.  Bellamy let out a breath of relief.  Since the captain and his men didn’t know much about the land, it wasn’t possible that they could have taken Bellamy too far away from the forest - this he had known.  That also meant Clarke couldn’t have been far off, either.

 

Bellamy decided to start walking to the center of the forest.  He wasn’t exactly sure where the ship had landed, though he knew it was more toward the west than the east, and he didn’t want to risk running into the guards.  He took the rope out of his pack and worked at the fraying edges.  He was able to pull out a few strings, which he used to tie leaves to the trees in such a way that it wouldn’t be obvious to anyone but Clarke or the others.  That way, if she made it into the forest, she’d hopefully know how to track him.  He even carved little V’s into the leaves so she would know which way to go.

 

_____________________________________________________________________

  


Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Clarke saw green.  She took a drink from her canteen, the last of the water.  She wasn’t too worried - there was a small lake not too far from where she and Madi had lived, and she was close to that.

 

Clarke tucked the canteen back in the pack and ran.  She’d regret it later - for now, she needed shade.  She hoped Bellamy found his way back to the forest.  Searching for something - anything - that she could use as a signal for him, she finally decided the best thing she could do is scan the outer edge of the forested area.  She’d look for signs of him - of anyone.

 

She moved slow - she was exhausted.  She hadn’t slept at all the night before.  Clarke had walked and walked, not slowing down for anything.  Knowing that Bellamy was out here, possibly in danger, kept her moving.  Even now, when she felt as though she could collapse at any second, she pushed herself forward.

 

As hard as she tried, Clarke needed to take a break.  She was tired, hungry, and thirsty.  The sun had bore into her, and she wanted nothing more than to lay on the forest floor and sleep.  She leaned against a tree, trying to push the exhaustion away.  It was a state of mind, right?  She wasn’t actually tired.  She just needed to push through this . . .

 

Clarke reached into the pack, hoping against all odds that there’d be something in there for her to eat or drink.  She only found the jobi nuts, which she silently cursed the idiot that had given it to them.  There was also a rope and a small blanket, neither of which she’d needed.

 

Sliding down the tree to sit, she groaned.  How had she let this happen?  By now, she would’ve thought that she’d be smarter than this.

 

Clarke stared straight ahead of her, her vision blurring at the edges.  Would it be so bad if she just took a quick nap?  How far could Bellamy go?  What if he wasn’t even in the forest?  She was weighing the options in her mind when something caught her attention - a leaf on the trunk of a tree.

 

It wouldn’t have seemed odd to her if it wasn’t tied to it.  And if it wouldn’t have had something cut out of it.

 

Clarke shot up and went to investigate.  There seemed to be an arrow ripped into the leaf.  It was pointing to her left - north.

 

It had to be Bellamy.  Clarke shook her head, smiling to herself.   _Bellamy, you smart son of a bitch_.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke follows the clues; she finds what she's looking for.

Clarke followed the leaves on the trees.  A few of them had little  _ B _ s on them, as though he’d known she’d be a little skeptical.  Though she did have her doubts, when she saw the B, she knew there was nothing to worry about.  She moved faster, the second wind taking over.  Adrenaline pumped through her veins.

 

A twig snapped behind her, and she froze, slamming herself into the closest tree she could.  Clarke steadied her breathing and listened.

 

“There’s nothing over here,” she heard someone - Emori - say.  “Keep moving south.”  There were a few other voices, though she couldn’t make out what they were saying, and then footsteps grew faint and everything was silent again.

 

Once Clarke was sure she was alone, she peeked around the tree.  There was something white on the ground - a piece of paper.  Clarke went to pick it up.  She unfolded it with shaking hands.  It read:

 

_ We have orders to turn you in if we see you.  Guards have orders to shoot on sight.  Won’t tell us what’s going on.  Stay hidden.  Raven will give you a signal when it’s safe. _

 

Clarke stuffed the paper into her pack.  She turned, found the next leafed tree, and ran.

 

~~~~~~~

 

She had to find Bellamy.  If he didn’t know to stay hidden, he could easily be shot.  Thankfully, Emori led the guards in the opposite direction they were going.  Clarke moved as quickly as she could, listening for sounds out of the ordinary.  How far had Bellamy gone?  Surely she was getting close.

 

Clarke felt herself giving up.  The sun was beginning its descent - soon, it would be night, and finding him would be next to impossible.

 

Based on where the leaves were placed, Bellamy was trying to walk around the ship and get to the middle of the forest.  That was smart, and it didn’t surprise Clarke that he’d known to do that.

 

Clarke went further, her exhaustion beginning to take a toll on her.  She was moving slowly.  But she knew she had to keep going.  She would not give up - not yet.  The leaves were signs that he was still moving.  That was enough to give her hope.

 

As darkness started to wash over the forest, Clarke was preparing to find a place to rest for the night.  She wouldn’t be able to see in the dark, and she knew it’d be hopeless if she tried.  She found a tree with strong branches and made to climb it when something caught her eye.  A few meters away was a lump on the ground.  Clarke grabbed a branch that she thought would be heavy enough to be used as a weapon and slowly crept up to it.

 

She hadn’t seen many animals.  The last time she’d seen something was a few years ago, and it had been the carcass of a deer.  Clarke took care to avoid sticks and leaves that would startle the animal (if it was still alive, that is).

 

Something was different about this animal.  As she approached, her eyes fighting the darkness that was threatening to take over any second, she realized this wasn’t just any animal.

 

“Bellamy,” she murmured, relieved.  She dropped to her knees next to him and turned him over.  His eyes were closed - he was passed out.  She checked his pulse and searched his body for wounds.  There were none that she could see.  What happened to him?

 

His breathing was slow, almost like he was sleeping.  Maybe he was just that exhausted?  Was he poisoned?  She checked his skin for marks that indicated he could have been poisoned.  She looked at his hands, and she found what she was looking for.

 

He was holding poison leaf, a plant Clarke and Madi had discovered a few years ago.  Clarke had been looking for leaves to start a fire, and she’d come across these.  Her vision had blurred, and she had passed out almost immediately.  Madi had revived her using milkweed.

 

Clarke searched now for the plant.  Though milkweed was poisonous in its own right, it helped cure the poison in the leaf.  She found some a few meters away and brought it over to him.  Using her sleeve, she picked up the leaf and tossed it to the side.  She rubbed the milkweed floss in his hands.  She then set some fibers on his tongue.

 

Then she waited.

 

She set Bellamy’s head in her lap.  She hummed to him, running her hands through his hair and along the sides of his face.

 

_ Come on, Bellamy.  Wake up _ .

 

The night continued growing darker, and the forest slowly began lighting up.  Clarke couldn’t enjoy the scenery - she was too busy worrying about Bellamy.  Was she too late?  Was the poison leaf fatal if left untreated for a certain amount of time?  Clarke continued humming to him and stroking his face.

 

_ Come on. _

 

Then, she saw his eyelids move.  She whispered his name.  He shifted slightly, and Clarke pulled back her hands, letting him move.

 

Bellamy slowly sat up.  Clarke waited, watching, frozen.  He stared at his hand holding the milkweed, which he dropped and rubbed his head.  He turned to look at Clarke and smiled at her.

 

“Thanks for keeping me alive,” he said.

 

Clarke rolled her eyes.  She got up on her knees and pulled him into a hug.  She knew she should tell him about Emori and the guards, or about the poison leaf he’d touched, but that could wait.  Right now, she just wanted to hold him.

 

Bellamy seemed content with this, too.  He buried his face in her neck, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

 

When Clarke and Bellamy had first arrived on this earth nearly seven years ago, they’d been kids.  They’d had so much growing up to do.  Clarke had had a lot of growing up to do.  Now, Clarke was stronger and wiser than she’d been.  She could see that Bellamy was the man she’d always known he was.  Her chest filled with that emotion only he seemed able to bring - she was so happy that he was okay.  She was happy they were together.  

 

Finally, slowly, they pulled apart, sitting in front of each other.  They didn’t look away.  Bellamy’s face was glowing green and blue from the light of the forest.  His eyes shown with a twinkle.

 

“I’m glad you found me,” Bellamy said.  “I was hoping you’d see the leaves.”

 

“That was smart,” Clarke told him.

 

“Clarke, I - ”

 

“You don’t need to say it, Bellamy,” she told him.  She gave him a small smile.  “We should sleep.  We have a lot to do.”

 

He stared at her a moment longer before nodding in agreement.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy have a moment.

There were no words that could express the feelings Bellamy had.  Being with Clarke again, planning the rescue of their friends - this was how it was always supposed to be.  Them, together, fighting the world.  

 

Bellamy had always thought that once Clarke was with them again, everything would be okay.  Their lives would go back to normal, and they’d be able to live the way they wanted to.  They would be able to live the way they were  _ intended _ to.  Of course, life never liked to do things the way Bellamy thought it should’ve been done.  He was slowly learning that sometimes, you couldn’t wait for the right moment.  You had to make the moment right.

 

He watched Clarke as she replaced the jobi nuts with a few berries she’d found.  There were so many things he wanted to say to her.  When would be the right moment?

 

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Clarke said suddenly.  Bellamy pretended his heart wasn’t threatening to explode.  He nodded once, and she continued.  “When I was looking for you, I saw Emori.  She was with a few guards, and it was almost like they were searching for us.”

 

Bellamy kept his face neutral, hiding his disappointment.  “Why would they?  They banished us.”

 

Clarke was silent for a heartbeat.  Then, “I think they were hunting for us.  She left me a note . . . ”  She reached into her pack and pulled out the piece of paper.  She handed it to him.

 

“What makes you think they’re hunting us?” he asked after he’d read it.

 

“For practice?” Clarke suggested.  She sighed heavily.  “I don’t know, but we have to get them out of there before something happens to them.  The rover isn’t too far from here.  If we just - ”

 

“You still have the rover?” Bellamy asked, amused.  That thing had survived the end of the world - twice.  When earth was nothing more than a speck of dust, that damned thing would be floating around space.

 

“It’s a good vehicle,” Clarke said with a smile.  They stared at each other for a moment too long before Clarke moved to pick up her backpack.  “If we hurry, we can get there by lunch.”  She raised her eyebrows suggestively, playfully.

 

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Bellamy joked.

 

Together, they went to find the rover.

 

~~~~~~~

 

The rover was where Clarke and Madi had left it.  She let out a breath of relief - at least those bastards hadn’t found it yet.  The props that they were going to use to save Bellamy and the others were still in the back, too.  Clarke wondered if that plan would still work.

 

“Before Madi and I were taken by those people,” Clarke began, “we had a plan to rescue you.  All of you.”  She watched as Bellamy took in the rover.  There was marvel in his eyes.  Clarke decided to let him have a moment.

 

She watched as Bellamy set his hand on the side, wondering what was going on in that curly-haired head of his.  He peaked through the windows, and a small smile crept to his lips.  He walked to the back of the rover, and his eyes widened.

 

“What is this stuff?” he asked.

 

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Clarke said with a smile.  She walked up to him.  “Madi and I had a plan.  We were going to come in with the rover, make it look like we had a whole army with us, and save you guys.”  That was the gist of it, anyway.

 

The props he was looking at was stuffed cloth they’d shaped into bodies - with the light of the rover and the dark of the night, those bastards wouldn’t have known the difference.  Now that Clarke had Bellamy, it could be easier to pose as an army.

 

“Now that they know about you,” Bellamy told her, “they might not fall for something like this.  If they saw a new face, then we could probably pull it off.  Where are the others?  Did they live?”

 

Clarke was silent.  Though he was surely trying to hide it, she could see the hope in his eyes.  She didn’t know if the others had lived.  She hadn’t spoken to them in years.  She hadn’t let herself worry about them too long - Madi had needed her.  For them to survive, Clarke had to give Madi her full attention.  Now that Bellamy was back, however, maybe it was time to check on the others . . . 

 

“Clarke, what is it?”

 

Her fear must’ve shown on her face.  “I haven’t spoken to them in years, Bellamy.  I don’t know if - “

 

Bellamy put a hand on her shoulder.  “All we have to do is look, Clarke.  If they’re not, we’ll find another way.”

 

Clarke nodded and looked away, swallowing the lump forming in her throat.  She opened the back and pulled out a bag of food her and Madi had stashed.  She handed Bellamy a couple vegetables and berries.

 

“Do you have a garden?” he asked.  His eyes shone with amusement.

 

“Actually, yes,” Clarke told him.  “Madi is very resourceful.  You’d like her.”

 

Bellamy smiled.  He took a bite of one of the vegetables before turning to look out at the forest.  Clarke felt her heart fill up just at the sight of him here, with her, right where they were supposed to be.  This was how it was always supposed to be.  This was how it was going to be from now on, Clarke promised quietly.  The two of them against the world.

 

Clarke walked over to Bellamy and stood by his side.  She slid her hand into his, feeling his calluses.  He looked at her, then at their hands, and back to her again.  He swallowed and squeezed slightly.

 

“I’m glad you’re here,” she told him.  Before he could say anything, she added, “There are so many things I want to say to you.  Things we need to talk about.  I want to hear everything about your six years, and I want to tell you about mine.  But our people need us right now.  They deserve our attention first.  Once we’re all safe, then we can talk.”

 

Bellamy ran his other hand over her hair.  He pressed his lips gently to her forehead, lingering a heartbeat too long.

 

“Let’s go find the others,” he said.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven questions the captain.

The captain was sitting at his desk, looking over the maps that Raven and Harper had made for him while Raven sat in the chair placed before him.  He’d allowed the two of them go on their own because Raven had convinced him it would be more productive if they had. 

 

“So you found a water source?” he asked, glancing up at her. 

 

Raven nodded.  “I can’t tell yet if it’s toxic or not.  I’ll have to do some tests - ”

 

“Use whatever you’d like,” the captain responded absentmindedly.  Raven kept her face neutral - he didn’t know how dangerous she was yet. 

 

These prisoners had been kept in cryogenic storage for over 100 years.  They’d been given resources for when they finally woke up, and advanced technology that was a mechanic’s wet dream.  Raven couldn’t wait to work in their labs and see what she could do about getting out of here.  

 

The captain murmured inaudibly to himself.  Raven was growing more and more nervous with him - she knew he was dangerous.  Was he more so than she was?  He was smart - he was captain for a reason.  Though he was still naive.  There were things of this world that he was ignorant about.  Time had changed a lot since he’d last been here. 

 

“You said Mount Weather was destroyed,” the captain commented.  Raven stayed silent.  “You never said who destroyed it.”

 

Raven needed Bellamy.  He was the one that had had this conversation with the captain when they’d been captured a year ago.  He’d somehow avoided the topic.  How should she respond?

 

She came up with different excuses in her head, waiting for him to ask her the question. 

 

Before he could, there was a knock on the door.  His second walked in without waiting for permission. 

 

“There has been a sighting,” she told him.  She glanced at Raven hesitantly.  The captain motioned for her to continue.  “They're together.”

 

_ They’re together _ ?  Of course they were - they’d been told that Bellamy and Clarke had run away together.  Raven knew that they had a plan - they wouldn’t just leave them with these people.  Not now that they seemed to be the only threat, and they’d been through much more than what the prisoners could put them through. 

 

The captain smiled in that odd way of his, as though he knew the punchline of whatever joke this was.  “Thank you, Commander.”  He looked at Raven.  “Would you like to go on a walk?”

 

The captain led Raven outside of the ship and brought her to the gates.  The prisoners were growing more and more resourceful - they’d taken the bars off of cells and had built them into a wall around their “camp”.  

 

He motioned for the guards to let them through, but one woman hesitated.  She stood in front of him, eyeing Raven suspiciously.  Raven resisted the urge to roll her eyes and waited impatiently while the captain convinced her to let them pass.  He kept insisting that he didn’t need a bodyguard.

 

Finally, the woman moved out of his way, and the captain looked at Raven.  He gave her a small smile, shoved his hands into his pants pockets, and began walking out of the camp.  Raven followed, keeping a few paces between them.

 

The captain was quiet for several minutes.  He looked around the forest, its eerie silence nearly suffocating.

 

Finally, he spoke.  “I trust you, Raven.  Although, I don't know why.  My second doesn't think I should trust you, as well as my council. My soldiers don't even see you or any of your people as allies.”

 

“They’re right,” Raven said. 

 

“For some reason, I don't think they are,” he told her.  He stared at her for a long moment before looking ahead.  “This place is beautiful.”

 

“Where are they?” she asked.  She knew he was lying about Clarke and Bellamy, and she needed to know the truth.

 

“They’re together,” he told her, chuckling to himself.

 

“I’m serious,” Raven said, voice hard.  “I’m tired of playing your stupid games.  What is going on?”

 

The captain studied her for a moment.  “They were exiled.  After we woke up in the sky, not everything went the way it was supposed to.  Some people decided to act up, and they risked the lives of others.  As a way to punish them, we exiled them to space.  Bellamy and Clarke have committed crimes.  For their punishment, we exiled them.”

 

“Neither of them did anything,” Raven insisted.

 

“Clarke trespassed in our lands, and then she resisted the guards.  Bellamy stood up for her,” the captain said.  “That’s criminal enough.”

 

“These aren’t your lands,” Raven snapped.

 

“I don’t see anyone else here to claim them,” he pointed out.

 

“That doesn’t suddenly make this okay,” Raven said.

 

“Mount Weather was supposed to be our home,” the captain said.  “And you still haven’t told me who destroyed it.”

 

Raven swallowed.  She had no idea what he’d do if he found out that Clarke and Bellamy had pulled the lever that killed all those people, and that Echo had played a role in destroying the bunker completely.

 

“I can tell this conversation is making you uncomfortable,” the captain said.  “I won’t ask for any explanation.  I’m sure whatever happened had to be done.  But this land is as much mine as it is yours.  We can make a claim anywhere we want.  We’ve made our claim, and we’ve made our laws.  When those laws are broken, the criminals are exiled.”

 

“Why is it bad that they’re together?” Raven asked softly.  “Why are you so afraid of them?”

 

“I am prepared to welcome you and your friends as a part of our people,” the captain began.  “We can come up with some sort of treaty or agreement.  My people would never agree to that if they knew you were sympathizers with the enemy.  And I know that your friends are strong-willed.  If they knew they could escape, they would.”

 

“Why don’t you just let us go?” Raven demanded.  “It’d be a lot easier.”

 

“I believe that we wouldn’t be able to survive very long without you,” he told her, matter-of-fact.  “And I also believe that you wouldn’t survive very long without us and the resources we could offer.  Besides, my people wouldn’t agree with that.”

 

“Just tell them we were all exiled,” Raven mumbled.

 

“Too many people would be asking questions,” the captain said.  “It’s not that easy.”

 

“My friends are going to get restless,” Raven pointed out.  “They’ll start asking questions.  None of this is easy.”

 

“That’s why we must help each other,” the captain said with a smile.  

 

“You’re going to have to give us some freedom, Captain,” Raven told him.  “You can’t keep us like this.”

 

“I’m giving you as much freedom as I can,” he told her.  “This will take some time, Raven.  Please be patient with me.  Oh, and don’t tell the others I’ve told you this.  I don’t want my people thinking I’m conspiring with the enemy.”  He winked at her.

 

“Tell me everything there is to know,” Raven said, “and I won’t tell anyone anything.”

 

The captain smiled and walked ahead.  This would be harder than Raven had thought.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy and Clarke have a moment.

Bellamy and Clarke were lying quietly on the hood of the rover, looking up at the stars.  The silence between them was comfortable.  Bellamy felt more at peace now than he had in a very long time.

 

He looked at Clarke, watching her as she stared at the stars.  Her lips were turned up in a small smile, her hands folded on her stomach.  He’d never seen her look more content.

 

“I see you still have your staring problem,” Clarke murmured without looking at him.  Surprising himself, Bellamy didn’t feel embarrassed he’d been caught.  Instead, he grinned.

 

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, Clarke,” he told her, voice hoarse.  “I’m allowed to.”

 

Clarke looked at him then.  Her eyes were bright, shining with the moonlight’s glow.  Bellamy felt a churning in the pit of his stomach.  He knew in his heart that Clarke was his Person.  He’d known it since the day they’d landed on this earth.  And he couldn’t wait any longer - he had to tell her.

 

“I know you said we need to wait to talk,” Bellamy began.  He turned on his side, facing her.  “But I can’t do that.  I’ve waited nearly seven years to tell you this.  And I’m not waiting anymore.”  

 

“Clarke, you mean the world to me,” he went on before she could interrupt him.  “I would do anything for you, you know that.  You’re the strongest, most amazing person I know.  You helped me through some of my darkest moments.  You kept me grounded, and that’s why I love you.”

 

“Bellamy …”

 

“Please,” he said, holding up a hand.  He had more he wanted to say.  “Ever since we landed here all those years ago, I knew you were important.  At that point, I hadn’t known in what way.  You could have been my enemy for all I knew.  But I knew you were important, and I knew you’d be one of the most important people in my life.”  Maybe she was  _ the  _ most important person in his life.  He paused a second before continuing.  “We were always meant to find each other.  This world has tried to separate us, but we always find our way back.  I belong to you.  You're my home.”

 

He continued.  “Up there, not a day went by that I didn't worry about you.  I thought of you every second of every day.  I knew that we would find each other again.”

 

He stopped there.  He wasn’t sure he’d made any sense.  Bellamy still wasn’t completely sure what the right words were.  But there was one thing he’d told her that he knew was said right: he loved her. 

 

Clarke was silent.  She was looking into Bellamy’s eyes.  When Bellamy was younger, he’d read that eyes were the windows to the soul.  If that were true, in this moment their souls had escaped and were entwined.  Time was warped - moving fast, slow, and not at all.  Bellamy was too afraid to move, fearing the loss of the moment. 

 

Finally, she moved.  Clarke brushed her fingers along his forehead and to his cheek.  Bellamy wished he knew what she was thinking.  He wished she’d say something - her silence terrified him. 

 

Her lips parted, and she spoke softly.  “I love you, too, Bellamy.  I’ve always cared for you more than the others, but I couldn’t admit it to myself.  I almost felt cursed.  But now I know that I wasn’t cursed, I was just going after the wrong people.  I've known that for awhile now.  I belong to you, too.  Nothing feels right when we are apart.  I know that part of me is missing when you’re gone.  We belong together, forever and always.”

 

Bellamy swallowed the lump forming in his throat.  A single tear escaped his eye - he had feared for so long that he was wrong and Clarke wasn't his person to love in the way that he did.  But now, she’d reassured him - they belonged to each other.  And he knew that nothing would get in their way.  They would take the world head on, smiling and laughing the whole way through. 

 

He wanted to pull her close. He wanted to hold her until the morning sun chased away the darkness.  He wanted to forget, just for the night, about his people.  Bellamy knew that they’d be okay.  Raven was strong, she knew how to handle herself.  She would know how to watch out for the others.  Just for tonight, Bellamy wanted to be selfish. 

 

So he was. 

 

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him and holding her tightly.  Clarke curled up to him.  Bellamy rested his cheek against her head.  His heart felt full for the first time in a long time. 

 

Clarke moved her head then and pressed her lips against the spot where his chin met his neck.  Bellamy’s heart skittered against his chest.  He looked down at her.  Her eyes were alight, glittering in the moonlight.  There was something mischievous written on her features, and Bellamy couldn’t keep his mouth from twitching upwards. 

 

He took her face in his hands.  He caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.  He marveled at the place they had ended up.  Never in a million years would he have thought that they’d be where they are now - he’d always hoped, but he was never very sure.

 

Bellamy pressed a kiss to Clarke’s forehead, then her cheeks, and he hesitated.  His face, centimeters from hers, questioned her.  In response, she closed the gap between their faces, pressing her lips gently to his. 

 

The kisses started slow, curious, and shy.  The new territory was foreign and exciting, if not a little bit scary.  And then passion coursed through their veins, their kisses growing hungrier.  This was it - this was how they were meant to be.  Every moment in their lives had prepared them for this one night.  Everything made sense. 

 

Bellamy had read somewhere that when someone found The One, they  _ knew _ .  No other explanation had been given.  One simply just knew when they were with their soulmate.  How was that even possible?  Now, Bellamy finally understood what that meant.  She was The One, his Soulmate.  He had given pieces of himself to others, but to Clarke he gave his soul. 

 

Reluctantly, they pulled apart.  They kept their bodies close, entwined.  However, neither of them wanted to move too fast.  Because they had grown, they knew the consequences of moving too quickly through a relationship.  This wasn’t just any relationship, and it would be treated as such.

 

They fell asleep that night with their faces a few centimeters apart, fingers interlaced, and underneath the stars.


End file.
